I think an emulator that uses an image of the ROM for the machine being emulated is only legal to use if you own one of the machines that has that ROM, if the ROM is copyrighted, while any that don't use ROMs are legal for anyone to use as long as you own licenses for any commercial software that you're running in emulation.

Emulators are perfectly legal. What do you think DOSBox is? The questionble legality is whether you can legally own a rom... actually more specifically, if you can own a rom of the cart you have. There are several places that sell roms with permission from the copywrite holder.

Emulators are perfectly legal. What do you think DOSBox is? The questionble legality is whether you can legally own a rom... actually more specifically, if you can own a rom of the cart you have. There are several places that sell roms with permission from the copywrite holder.

Actually, DOSBox has its own set of BIOS functions (I'm not sure whether they are part of DOSBox or an actual emulated BIOS, as DOSBox is an OS emulator, rather than a PC emulator, like Bochs).

Emulators are perfectly LEGAL, IF you own the BIOS, and the game which are both for the system. For a system that is Abandonware eg. Super NES, you are freely available to download. Now, for a system that Isn't Abandonware, eg. Nintendo DS, you must first own the system, AND the game that you are going to download/dump.

Emulators are perfectly LEGAL, IF you own the BIOS, and the game which are both for the system. For a system that is Abandonware eg. Super NES, you are freely available to download. Now, for a system that Isn't Abandonware, eg. Nintendo DS, you must first own the system, AND the game that you are going to download/dump.

The only problem with that theory is that the Virtual Console/Classic Collections that are coming out nowadays. They are still making money off of them so they are not abandonware, and if I'm not mistaken its not abandonware after a certain period of time (I however do not know that amount of time)

I personally think that the only ways for emulators to be legal you have to own the game and the system at a minimum.